A Boy and His Dog

Just came across some pics from last fall of my handsome little mister! First a little back story - we were at Ikea with my mother-in-law and B was walking around, oohing and ahhing at all the stuffed animals we passed. Then he spotted this stuffed dog. He said "DOG!" and ran over, pulled one out, and started kissing it all over. He ended up carrying it halfway around the store, and Grandma bought it for him (thanks grandma!). He's pretty much B.F.F.s with it now, and this particular day he couldn't go out to play without his ruff ruff.

Doggy shoes and doggy friend, gonna be a good day.

I told him to sit in front of the tree for a picture and at first he just set his dog there for a pic! Then he sat beside it. :)

No more pictures! Let's play!

Palm Sideboard - Plans

This is my last CB hack for now. Until something else strikes my fancy. :) I think the Finea Dresser is still my favorite, but this guy is definitely a close second! Meet the Palm Sideboard. This piece is inspired by CB's Paloma Large Sideboard and includes a roomy cupboard on each end with three drawers in the center. It has a really unique style that can add an eclectic twist to any room! I'll go ahead and tell you this one isn't going to look exactly like the original CB version, which retails for $2,500. But this is a great way to get a similar look for MUCH less, and it's made using standard lumber from any hardware store. Ready to build your own?

Shopping List:
3  -  sheets 3/4" plywood (you really only need 2 1/2, so see if your store sells 1/2 sheets or scrap pieces instead of purchasing a full 3rd sheet)
1  -  2x6  @ 6' long (you only need 3', so check to see if your store carries shorter boards)
1  -  1x3  @ 10' long
3  -  1x6  @ 8' long
1  -  1x8  @ 8' long
8  -  1x2  @ 10' long
1  -  1x2  @ 8' long
3  sets of 16" drawer slides (we like euro style slides)

You Light Up My Heart

The first valentine's day of our married life, my husband came home with a special handmade gift.

Okay, it's hard to see what it really is until you plug it in....

Ta-da! A light-up heart for valentines day! I don't have pics for a full tutorial, but I can give you the gist of how it went down if you're interested in tackling some LED art for a special someone. He just bought a frame, a red photo mat, and a string of red LED lights with flat heads. (he planned ahead and got the lights on clearance after Christmas, but you can also order them here) He drew the shape he wanted, a heart, on the cardboard backing that came in the frame. He looked at how far apart the holes for the lights needed to be spaced - you can see in the pic below that even when the green parts are set together, there is still some space between the bulbs. 

He went around the heart making a dot where each bulb would go, making sure they were at least that far apart. He used a drill bit that was the size of the bulbs to drill a hole at each spot. Then he poked a bulb into each hole (they just stick through a bit, shallow enough that the glass is still in the frame). He also used acrylic paint to paint the cardboard a matte black .

Here's what that mess looks like on the back.

Chocolate Volcanos - Valentine Dessert

This is our favorite go-to dessert for special occasions. Or, you know, I'm-pregnant-give-me-chocolate occasions. So it's especially appropriate when I'm pregnant on Valentines day! It's delicious little chocolate volcano cakes!

These are so yummy, and they take just a few simple ingredients that we always have in our pantry. We can whip them up when we have guests or any time we just need a little something extra yummy.

I don't know how people generally like to read recipes online, but I know I hate scrolling through a bunch of pictures to get each step! So, for those of you who are visual I do have lots of pictures, but for those like me I also have the recipe written out nice and concise at the end. Choose your weapon. And let's get started!

Mr. Valentine Dinner

Valentine's day is right around the corner! I wanted to think of something cute to make for dinner special for my husband. Since our current grocery list has been pretty skimpy in the meat section (seriously, why is meat so expensive?!) he very enthusiastically requested a meat-tastic meal. His first idea was BLT burgers! But I wanted to make them a little more Valentine worthy than a normal burger. I started by making the hamburger patties in the shape of hearts.

Then I arranged some bacon in the shape of hearts on a cookies sheet. I also rolled up a few pieces to make little rose buds. I baked them so they would hold their shape. After much Googling, I set the oven to 375 and just checked them every few minutes until they were done. And I would suggest checking them more often toward the end, mine got a little over done. :)

Here's a basic heart burger.

Oh, and his favorite cream soda to go with it of course!

And here's one with a bacon heart underneath. I actually really like how it kind of outlines the burger.

Finea 4-Drawer Dresser

Okay, I think this was my single. favorite. thing. in the entire CB catalog. I want one. Bad. The minute we need another dresser, this is what I'm after! Or maybe I'll whip one up to use as an entertainment console in the basement. If I just go ahead and make one, I'll surely find someplace I need it. Right? Anyway, say hello to the Finea dresser! Four big, spacious drawers, modern design, and an open shelf to boot. Can I get an "ahhhhhh?" This guy is inspired by Crate & Barrels Linea dresser which retails for $1,700. Want to build something similar for a fraction of the cost? Click "read more" for all the details!

Shopping List:
2  sheets 3/4" plywood
6  -  2x2  @ 8' long 
3  -  1x8  @ 8' long
1  -  1x10  @ 10' long
4 sets of 16" drawer slides (we like euro style slides)
4 drawer pulls


Tools: